E Ink preps flexible e-paper display

LONDON – E Ink Holdings Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.) has said this year it will release an electronic paper display called Mobius that will use flexible thin-film transistor (TFT) technology developed by Sony Corp.

Mobius displays will weigh less than 50 percent of the weight of an equivalent glass-based TFT display, the company said, giving the example of a 13.3-inch sized display that would weigh approximately 60 grams. The ruggedness and lightweight characteristics of Mobius are due to the TFT being constructed on a plastic substrate rather than traditional glass.

E Ink did not indicate whether pixel displays would be supported or, if so, at what resolution. Nor did the company indicate if it would be capable of color.

The TFT technology was developed by Sony specifically for use with electronic paper displays in cooperation with E Ink. Sony has now transferred the technology to E Ink for mass production and E Ink said it will start mass production of 13.3-inch flexible 13.3-inch sized display in 2013.

e-ink has been talking about lightweight flexible monochrome and color electronic pixel displays for years. For an engineering audience, a comparison of the existing and proposed capabilities are needed to understand the significance of this development.